Automatic card-feeding device.



PATENTED APR. 9

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. 1906.

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R m E W g 7/ I 7 .E \m i g J N "i IE% 5 WITNESSES A TTORNE YS No.849,655. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

l W. A. BILLMAN.

AUTOMATIC CARD FEEDING DEVICE. Arrmouron FILED Mir. 27. 1906.

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T1155: 1/ A INVENTOA l v I By A TTORNEIS No. 849,655. PATENTED APR. 9,1907.

w. A. BILLMANZ AUTOMATIC CARD FEEDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21.1906.

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WZZZZMA.B a INVENTOR A TTORA '1; Y5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC CARD-FEEDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.tatented April 9, 1907.

Application filed Jaimars 27, 1906- Serial No. 298,239.

ally removing the same after the operation of the press.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this typewhich may be manufactured as a separate article and applied to existingpresses or similar mechan- 181118.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a card-feedingdevice which may be quickly adjusted to accommodate cards of dill'erentlength and width.

With these and other objects in view, as

will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certainnovel features of con struction and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor detailsofthe structure may be made without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of a cardfeeding device constructed in accordance with theinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transversesection of a ortion of the device on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. ig. 4 is adetail perspective View of the princi al feeding device. Fig. '5 is aside elevatlon illustrating a slight modification of the invention wherethe cards are to be printed in more than one color. Fig. 6 is a planview of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are. em-

. ployed to indicate corresponding parts plied. To this base are securedcross-bars forming a support for a pair of slightlyspaced strips 12,which carry a reservoir or magazine 13, in which the pack of cards,envelops, or paper slips may be placed. At one. side of the reservoir isa discharge-slot 14, through which the cards or other articles aresuccessively fed, the lower wall of such slot being in alinement with orforming a continuation "of the strips 12, which constitute the bottom ofthe magazine.

Arranged between and guided by the strips 12 is a feed-bar 16, that isprovided at a point some distance from its inner end with acard-engaging plate or lug 17, whichprojects above the top of thefeed-bar a distance slightly less than the thickness of a single card orother article, so that during the feeding movement only a single cardwill be e11- gaged and discharged. At the discharge side of the magazineis pivoted a finger 18, which hangs over the discharge-slot in suchmanner as to be engaged and swung outward by the card as the latter isfed through the slot, and said finger will fall to an approximatelyvertical position after the card has passed thereunder and will form anobstruction, preventing the return of the cards when the feed-bar isretracted.

At the discharge side of the reservoir is arranged a pair of bars 19',having slightlyrounded ends at points adjacent to the sides of thedischarge-slot for the purpose of engaging with the sides of the cardsand maintaining the same in proper position during the dischargingoperation.

A card discharged from the magazine through the operation of thefeed-bar and the plate 17 w1ll be forced out until its rear end passesbeyond the finger 18, whereupon the latter will fall and will preventthe return of the card as the feed-bar is retracted. As the feed-barpasses from under the card the latter will fall onto a feeding-finger21, that is pivoted to the end of thefeed-bar and is arranged to slidefreely on the base-plate.

The feed-bar 16 and the feeding-finger 21 are both much narrower thanthe width of the magazine, and as the card has been ejected beyond thedischarge-slot of the magazine and has fallen to a position below suchdischarge-slot the rear edge of such card will engage against the rearwall of the magazine on either side of the guiding-slot through whichthe-feml-bar works, and will thus be held from return movement. into themagaously fedand will move the card forward to a position in alinementwith the printing, embossing, or other mechanism that is operating onthe card, such mechanism being indicat ed generally at as and includinga platen 22.

At the opposite sides of the platen 22 are bars 23, arranged inparallelrelation and provided with guiding grooves or recesses 24, in which theo posite edges of the cards are received and ield during the 1printingor other operation. The upper wal s of said groove or recesses serve toprevent the raising of the cards from the platen as the printing,stamping, or embossing type are elevated. The vertical walls ofthese'grooves engage the opposite edges of the card and frictionallyhold the same at the completion of the feeding movement of the finger21, so that when the finger recedes there will be no danger of the cardreturning with it.

The two bars 23 are adjustable in order.

that the distance between them may be altered in accordance withthewidths of the cards, and said bars are held by cross-strips 26. Thestrips 26 carry a bar 27 on which is mounted a slidable block 28, freeto move in the direction of the length of the bar. To this block ispivoted-a flan ed feeding-finger 29, that is arranged to fall )y gravityon top of the card, the forward edge of such finger serving to engagewith the rear edge of the card and-to move the latter from the platen inthe direction of a discharge-opening 30, through which the printed orembossed cards may fall to a suitable receptacle. The front edge of thefinger is inclined, so that it may ride freely over the cards during thereturn movement of the block.

While the feed-bar 16 and feed-block 28 may be connected to some movingpart of the press and operated thereby,it is preferred, especially wherethe device is used on a small foot-press, to provide for operationthrough the medium of a pedal. In carrying out this portion of theinvention the base-plate is provided with a series of pulleys 35, 36,and 37, over which is guided a flexible member 38, which may be formedof textile material or metal. To one end of this flexible member issecured a weight or spring 39, and the opposite end is secured to apedal 40. This flexible member is adjustably secured .to the feed-block28 and is also connected to an arm 42, that projects from the'feed-bar16, a suitab'le'clip 43, carried by the arm, beingemployed in order topermit quick adjustment of the parts when necessary. g

' It will be understood that at eachdepression of the edal't-he feed-bar16 and feed-block 2am rawn toward the left of Fig; 1 againstthe force orstress exerted by the counter weight or spring. When pressure on thepedal is relieved, the feed members move toward the right of l i'g. 1,and the plate 17 will engage the lowermost card of the reservoir andwill force the same out through the discharge-slot, the card passingunder the finger 18, so that the latter will prevent any returnmovement. A second depression of the pedal will again draw the feedmembers to the left, and the card is then free to fall onto finger 21and from thence to the surface of the base-plate 10. On the nextmovement to the right another card will be fed from the reservoir by theplate 17, and the first card will be engaged by the finger 21 and willbe forced over the platen 22 in position to be printed or embossed.

At a third operation the feed members will be again drawn to the left,and then when al lowed to move to the right a third cardwill be engagedand forced from the reservoir by the plat-e 17, while the second cardfed will be engaged at the finger 21 and will be forced over the platen22. The .card first fed has now been printed or embossed, and its rearend is engaged by the finger 29, which moves said card from the platento a discharging position over the opening 30.

It may be desired in some cases to subject the cards to two or moreoperations during the passage from the reservoir to the finalreceptacle. For instance, it may be necessary to print the card in twoor more colors or to print in one color and emboss at a second stage ofthe operation. Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an apparatus by which astep-by-step movement of the card may be secured when it is desired toprint in two or more colors.

The cards are fed forward by the finger 21 and the feed-bar 16,previously described. The bar 27 is provided with two blocks 28 and 28from which project card engaging and feeding fingers 29 29",respectively. The blocks 28 and 28 are provided with lugs 50, havingopenings for the passage of a rod 51, through which the blocks maybelocked by set-screws 52 in order to hold the blocks in proper relativepositions and to permit adjustment in accordance with the size of thecard.

The operating-cord 38' is provided with a pair of adjustable collars 53,which ma be ocked in any position on said cord, an between the' 'collarsand the finger-carrying blocks are arranged short cushioning-springs 54,designed for primary engagement with the blocks for the purpose oftaking up any scends an impression in one color will be made from thetype yf The cord "38 then moves to the right and carries the fingers 29and 29 also to the right, and the finger 29 engages to the rear of theprinted card. On movement. of the cord in the same direction at the nextreciprocation the printed card is shifted to a position under the typey, while a second card is fed to the first position by the finger 21.When the chase again doscends, the card first printed will receive'asecond impression in a different color from the type y, while the secondcard will receive a first impression from the type y. On the nextmovement of the cord 38 to the left, as shown in Fig. 1, the fingers29'" and 29* will ride over the printed cards and engage the rear edgesthereof, the rear edges of said fingers being curved or inclined forthis purpose, after which a further movement to the right, as shown inFig. 1, will carry the card first printed to discharging position, andthe second card will be carried to a posit-ion under the type 3 It willof course be understood that the number of type-faces may be increasedto a practically unlimited extent and asuflieient number offeeding-fingers used to effect the proper step-by-step motion of thecards and deliver the same under the successive typefaces.

-While the device has beenshown and described as applied to aprinting-press, it will be understood that it may be employed toadvantage for the feeding of cards, envelops, slips of paper, or otherarticles to machinery of any description-such, for instance, asembossing or stamping presses, folding,

scoring, or similar mechanismand in the claims the term press must beconstrued as including any machine or mechanism, while the term card isused to designate generally the article operated upon.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a card-reservoirhaving a slotted bottom and provided with a card-discharge slot at oneend, a feed-bar arranged in the bottom slot and of a width less thanthat of the card-reservoir, a card-engaging member carried by the bar,means beyondthe card-discharge slot for preventing the return of a cardthrough said slot, and a card-engaging finger pivoted to the end portionof the bar and arranged at a lower level than said bar, said fingerbeing arranged to support the card during the reverse movement of thebar and to engage with and impart a second feeding movement to said cardat the next reciprocation.

2. The combination with a card-reservoir having a slotted bottom, of apair of pivotally-connected reeiproeatory feeding devices arranged atdifferent levels, the upper feeding device serving to impart the firstfeeding movement and deliver a card from the reser voir, and thelowermost feeding device serving to engage with and impart a secondfeeding movement to the card.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM ALBERT BILLMAN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. MUssER, THOMAS KILLEEN.

